Should Christian Bale Continue as Batman in 'Justice League'?

WIth the rumor that Warner Bros. is desperately trying to woo Christopher Nolan -- and through him Christian Bale -- for its long-in-the-mud Justice League movie, we're wondering if this is even a good idea. Desperation tends to reek of desperation, and a cash grab always looks like a cash grab from both sides of the table. If Nolan and Bale have to be begged and bought, who needs or wants them? Even if they maintain the talent in doing so?

Okay, so Nolan's guidance, if fully committed, could be a good thing for the super-team movie, but who even loves the Dark Knight trilogy because of Bale? He's good, don't get me wrong, but he's not perfect nor is he the only actor who could fill the character's boots. It's been a long time since I've read or seen anything Justice League related, but how much of this movie would even involve Bruce Wayne? I figure that for much of this movie we'll be seeing more bat ears than bow ties, and therefore you just need a good actor with a decent chin and voice.

However, consistency isn't necessarily a terrible thing, either. Batman is sort of like James Bond. We're so accustomed to seeing new actors take over the role that it's not a big deal for the torch to be passed. The difference is that Batman actors have, on average, shorter runs with their franchise. Never mind Lazenby and Dalton being the equivalent of Clooney and Keaton, number-wise. We'll likely never see someone as attached to the Caped Crusader gig as Sean Connery or Roger Moore were attached to 007. But if Bale continued on, his reign is at least as long as Brosnan and now Craig.

The spin-off concept makes it complicated, though. In some ways even linking Nolan's series to Justice League dilutes that trilogy and ruins the arc it puts Bale's Wayne/Batman through. And it forces a certain tone that a JL movie shouldn't have. And it puts too much focus on the Batman character -- whether people like Henry Cavill's Superman or not. Then again, if Cavill is indeed onboard then will it be weird to have all new actors as Batman and Green Lantern? There are a ton of variables not even considering how it affects the careers of both Bale and Nolan. It's not just that Batman needs new blood but that the actor and director need to go their own way, too.

Maybe the studio shouldn't have Bale or someone new. Bring back Michael Keaton.

Should Justice League have Christian Bale as Batman or someone new?

Here are some responses received so far via Twitter:

@thefilmcynic haven't they established that JGL was going to be Batman 2.0? So, no.

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